Elapidae - 2006 Publications
 

Laticauda - Sea kraits

Cogger & Heatwole et al. (2006) analysed morphological variation in Laticauda colubrina, with special emphasis on populations in New Caledonia and Vanuatu. Their studies led to the recognition of two additionalspecies previously confounded with L. colubrina: Laticauda frontalis (de Vis, 1905) is a dwarf species restricted to Vanuatu and the Loyalty Islands of New Caledonia. It can be distinguished from sympatric L. colubrina through its smaller size, reduced ventral and dorsal scale row counts, and colour pattern differences. Laticauda saintgironsi was described as a new species, and is restricted to the coastal waters of the island of New Caledonia and some of theLoyalty Islands. It differs from L. colubrina in having brownish rather than bluish-grey lighter dorsal bands, in having fewer dorsal scale rows, and aspects of colour pattern.
In a previous paper, Healtwole et al. (2005) had described another new species of the Laticauda colubrina complex, Laticauda guineai, from the southern coast of Papua New Guinea.
  • Cogger, H.G. & H. Heatwole (2006) Laticauda frontalis (de Vis, 1905) and Laticauda saintgironsi n. sp. from Vanuatu andNew Caledonia (serpentes: Elapidae:Laticaudinae) - a new lineage of sea kraits? Records of the Australian Museum 58: 245-256.
  • Heatwole, H., S. Busack & H. Cogger (2005) Geographic variation in sea kraits of the Laticauda colubrina complex (Serpentes: Elapidae: Hydrophiinae: Laticaudini). Herpetological Monographs 19: 1-136.
Aspidelaps - African Shield Cobras

Broadley & Baldwin (2006) surveyed morphological anad pattern variation in Aspidelaps in southern African. It was noted that the supposedly distinctive head coloration differences between Aspidelaps lubricus infuscatus and A.l. cowlesi are not in fact diagnostic for the populations concerned. Accordingly, A.l. infuscatus is a synonym of A.l. cowlesi. Additionally, the authors also identified a differentiated from of A.l. lubricus, disitnguished by higher ventral and subcaudal scale counts, from northwestern South Africa and southwestern Namibia, which may represent an udnescribed taxon.
  • Broadley, D.G. & A.S. Baldwin (2006) Taxonomy, natural history and zoogeography of the southern African shield cobras, genus Aspidelaps

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